Woodworking-machine



G. C. GOODYEAR.

WOODWORKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29. 1915.

1,194,009. Patented Aug. 8,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

WITNESSES INVENTOH Patnted Aug. 8, 1916.

3 SHEET5SHEET 2- INVENTOR G. C- GOODYEAR. wooowonxme MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR-29, 915- 1,194,009.

m: manila IIYZRS cm. rumour-um. \vbmmnon. A. c,

G. C. GOODYEAR.

WOODWURKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1915.

' Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INYVENTOR Frau/4 Gain/$257555 m UNITED STATES EPATENT @FFIQE.

GEORGE C. GOODYEAR, OF IVIQKEES ROCKS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM L. RUSSELL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

WOODWORKINGr-MACI-IINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au. 8, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE C. GOODYEAR, residing at McKees Rocks,in the county of Allegheny andState of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in oodworking-Vlachines, of which improvements the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wood-working machinery. While I so particularize its applicability, it will be understood that the invention may be used in bringing work forward to the action of a tool, regardless of whether the material be wood or something else.

I particularly show the invention in connection with a saw; it will be understood, however, that it is applicable to other machines as well, on which other operations than sawing are performed. More particularly, I describe my machine as one'in which a number of superposed pieces of wood previously cut slightly oversize are conveyed together and trimmed accurately to the size desired; it will, however, be understood that the invention is not limited to a superposed pile of pieces nor to action upon blanks.

which have been previously cut to approximate size. I/Vith these preliminary general remarks I proceed to a detailed explanation of the machine in which I have embodied my invention. And I here state beforehand that, in defining the invention in the claims, I intend to indicate that it is broadly applicable to a field wider than this particular machine, as I have indicated in these prefatory general remarks.

The accompanymg drawings illustrate the machlne.

Figure 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section on a planeindicated by the line II-II of Fig. 1. In Fig. 2, however, a pile of work is shown in position, in the course of machine operation. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on a plane indicated by the line IIIIII, Fig. 1; Fig. a is a view in longitudinal section and on larger scale of an expansible pulley shown in elevation in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the structure shown in Fig. l, the plane of section being inclicated by the line VV, Fig. 4. p

This machine consists essentially of a pair of circular saws I mounted upon a common shaft in a suitable bed and of accessory parts for receiving and sustaining material and for feeding the material to and delivering it from the saws. The saws are adjustable in their spacing one from the other, adapt ing the machine to out wood to one length or another, as desired. To this end one or both of the saws maybe made adjustable upon their common shaft.

The work-handling parts are provided in duplicate: a pair of skids, a pair of sprocket chains, a pair of clamping bars, etc.; and these pairs of machine parts are grouped into two units, one member of each pair of parts in each unit, and the two units so constituted are made adjustable in their spacing one from the other, just as the two saws are adjustable.

Manifestly each pair of parts might be made separately adjustable, just as the saws themselves are separately adjustable; and manifestly the saws might also be made parts of the units referred to, so that one single adjustment would change the machine in all its parts and adapt it to work of cutting pieces of wood to a new and different length. Or any two or more pairs of the parts enumerated may be grouped into two relatively adjustable units. I prefer, however, to arrange the machine as it is shown with two pairs of units of adjustment: one the saw, the other the workhandling parts. v The workhandling parts include a pan of skids, a pair of sprocket chains, a pair of transverse stops, a pair of marginal stops, and a pair ofupper guides. These I shall describe in turn.

First, the s7cids. They extend the length of the machine, being suitably mounted in the bed. They are, essentially, rails, upon which the work slides forward to, through, and beyond the saws. As is particularly shown in Fig. 3, each skid conveniently consists of two plates 2 arranged side by side and spaced apart by an interposed bar 2 (which with the plates themselves forms an upwardly opening channel), and built out on the inner side by bars 2 flush with the upper edges of the plates. Thus each skid has a horizontal upper surface, which is, properly speakin the skid surface; and each has also along the lower edge of the bars 2* a horizontal lower surface, for purposes presently to be made plain; and, furthermore, the upper horizontal surface of each skid is interrupted by a channel.

Second, the chans.These are preferably endless traction members, made as sprocket chains 3. They travel in the channels formed as already explained in the skids. The chains themselves lie wholly within these channels, not touching the work which rests on the skids in any such close contact as to disturb its position. The chains are carried on the sprocket wheels 9 arranged near the opposite ends of the skids and between the plates 2.

The chains are provided with one or more pairs of oppositely placed work-engaging blocks 4. The drawings show (compare Figs.

2 and 3) two pairs of such blocks. As is particularly shown in Fig. 3, each block rests upon the upper surface of one of the two skids and is provided with a downwardly extending arm 10 (downwardly extending when the block is erect and advancing upon the skid) and this arm 10 carries one or more (preferably two) rollers 11 which engage the nether surface 2 of the skid. These blocks are secured in opposite pairs and at proper intervals to the two endless chains 3. Each block preferably consists of a body portion 4 and an anterior face-plate 12 pivoted to thebody to swing in one direction only and normally held by the tension of a spring in a position perpendicular to the line of advance of the work upon the skids. This face-plate 12 may conveniently be pivoted near its upper end, as at m, and

the spring may take the form of a helical tension spring 11. arranged beneath the pivot point, as shown. The purpose of these pivotal face-plates relates itself particularly to such a pile of superposed pieces of Wood to be sawed as is indicated at A, Fig. 2. If the blocks 4 were rigid integers they would, when in advance to the right (Fig. 2) they reached and passed over the sprocket wheels, tip forward, and pressing against the upper part of the pile A push the pile askew 'upon the skidway, and in their further tipping they would tend to bear in a shear-like way upon the canted pile of material, and perhaps bind and cause trouble. But the face-plate is pivoted and is held in vertical position by a spring just strong enough to swing the plate when free of contact with the work. Accordingly, when the blocks 4 round the sprocket wheels at the delivery side of the saw (right hand end, Fig. 2) the pile of material is sufliciently heavy to cause the face-plate 12 to swing on their pivots against the tension of the springs and to remain in vertical position so long as contact with the work is maintained. Thus the work is carried forward beyond the sprocket wheels toward the ends of skids 2; and, when the face-plates 12 are free of en gagement with the work, immediately they conveniently swing back to normal position, under tension of their springs.

Third, the transverse st0j9s.A pair of spring impelled' abutments 14 are arranged one on either side of the runway for the work and they normally extend athwart the path of the advance of the material on the runway. As shown in Fig. 3 these abutments take the form of pivoted vanes and the springs which bring them to position athwart the path are shown to be coiled springs surrounding their pivot pins. The purpose of these abutments 14 is to serve as stops, against which the material may be alined in preparation for the action of the saws, and which at the proper moment may make way for the advance of the material. Accordingly, these vanes or abutments are arranged to be alternately held rigid against swinging and released and left free to swing as the work engaged by the blocks 4 is carried forward to the saws. To this end a pair of locks 15 are provided, mounted to swing pivotally in a pair of bars 16 which extend longitudinally of and above the runway. The locks rest normally by gravity upon the vanes 14 and when the vanes are swung to their normal position athwart the runway the locks secure them in that position. The locks may be further provided with extended bearing ends 15 to engage if need be and rest upon vanes 14 even when the vanes are swinging. The locks are swung upward, to release and leave the vanes free to swing aside, by pins 17 carried on bars 18, which extend parallel to the bars 16 and which in the operation of the machine swing up and down in parallelism with bars 16', being hung on toggle arms from bars 16. The further function of these bars 18 will presently be explained. The swinging of bars 18 from the dotted-line po sition (Fig. 2) to the full-line position (a movement effected and correlated in a manner presently to be described) will effect the opening of the lock 15 leaving the doors free to swing and allow the work to advance toward the saws; the subsequent return of bars 18 to the dotted-line position will leave locks 15 free to fall back and rest upon vanes 14, and when the vanes then swing to their normal position athwart the runway, the locks 15 will secure them there.

Fourth, the marginal st079s.Along one side of the machine, extending parallel to the line of advance of the work, is a positioning plate 19 and upon the other side and opposite plate 19 is a. swinging plate 20. This pair of cooperating plates 19 and 20 is arranged adjacent the abutments 14 and on the side of abutments 14 from which the work advances toward the saws. Referring particularly to Fig. 3, attention is directed to the manner in which the movable plate 20 is supported. It is carried on arms 21 20 have a limited swing in a direction transverse to runway and toward and from the oppositely disposed plate 19. Referring particularly to Fig. 8, it will be observed of the plate 20 that it is so proportioned that normally it swings outward (to the right) to inactive position of its own weight; it will further be observed that springs 23 are provided tending to keep the pin-engaged ends of arms 21 at the inner ends of their range of play on the shanks of pins 22; and it will be understood that, in consequence of this arrangement, when material is piled on the runway and pushed forward against the vanes 14, and when then the plate 20 is swung inward, the lower edge of plate 20 will, as plate 20 swings, be in the lead, the pile of material will normally be engaged at the bottom first, and the thrust which plate 20 imparts to the material to drive it against plate 19 and true it up to position for machine action will be cushioned by spring 23, to allow for small irregularities in length of material roughly cut to approximate size. In its advance to work-engaging position this plate 20 engaging perhaps the lowest article in the pile of material resting on the runway, perhaps an article higher up, will tip automatically-the angularity of its position with respect to the surface of the runway will changeand thus the plate 20 will in the course of its advance accommodate itself to irregularities of pile and be effective in truing up the pile.

Fifth, the upper guicZes.The bars 16 have already been mentioned and the bars 18 which swing vertically in parallelism with bars 16. These bars 18 have heretofore been described as the drive members for locks 15. These bars 18 are parts of pairs of bars, preferably made in sections, to operate in succession. In the machine shown the bars of this pair are composed each of two sections 18 and 40, and these two sections are hung by toggle arms from bars 16. Normally these bars stand at the higher limit of their vertical swing. impelled to that position by springs 24 and 26 which exert their tension through suitably disposed bell-crank levers.

The bars 40 and 18 are caused to descend, against the tension of their springs at proper times, in consequence upon the advance of work upon the runway. To this end a succession of rails 41 and 25 extend along the skids. These rails are carried on toggle arms on the machine bed and are connected by cnank and pitman connection to the bars 40 and 18 respectively. These parts, thus connected, swing as units, and the same springs 24 and 26 which hold bars 40 and 18 in elevated position hold rails 41 and 25 also in elevated position. The rails 41 and 25 are swung down by suitable abutments carried by chains 3. Conveniently the rolls 11 with which dogs 4 are equipped and which as already described engage the nether surfaces 2 of the skids engage also these rails 41 and 25 to swing them downward. As rails 41 and 25 are swung downward the bars 40 and 18 are swung downward also; and, since these. parts are arranged in succession, they operate successively. By providing the blocks 4 with extended rail-engaging surfacesas here particularly shown, by providing the blocks 4 with two rollers the advancing block will engage and swing rail 25 before it releases rail 41, and thus an upper guideway for the work from end to end of the skidway is continuously maintained. Furthermore, it will be observed that the cooperation of two rolls, affording two points of bearing against the nether surface of the skidway, serves to brace the blocks against strains sustained when pro pelling the work along the skidway. At the same time, these rollers engage and swing the guide -moving parts, as already explained.

The bars 40 and 18 in their lower position serve as an upper guide for the work in its approach to the saws. To afford provision for piles of material of different height the range of downward swing of bars 40 and 18 is adjustable. For illustration, the bell crank lever and pit-man connection, 42, 43, between bar 40 and rail 41 is shown (Fig. 2) to be adjustable by extending the arm of the bell crank lever to the form of a plate with a succession of properly spaced pin holes, in any one of which the adjacent end of pitman 43 may be secured.

' I have now described five pairs of oppositely placed cooperating parts: skids, chains provided with work-impelling blocks or dogs, transverse stops for truing-up the material, marginal stops for truing-up the ma terial, and upper guides for conducting the material to, through and beyond the saws. It remains to note the adjustment of the two units composed of these five partsone of each pair. As shown in Fig. 3 one unit, at the left, is stationary; the other is adjustable toward and away from the stationary unit, being sustained on suitable supports in the bed of the machine, and capable of be ing shifted on the spacing bolts 5, 6, 7. These spacing bolts (compare Figs. 1, 2, and 3) may be interconnected by sprocket chains, and one of them (as 6\ may be provided with a squared end 8 to receive a wrench or crank. Thus all ma be turned in unison, and the movable unit shifted freely, that the machine may be accommodated to receive material of one length or another.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The two saws are set at the distance apart to afford the length desired for the finished material; and the work-handling parts are adjusted to the length of the material in the rough. A number of boards (Fig. 2 shows four) previously cut to approximate length, but somewhat oversize are piled on the skids against the vanes or stops it. The side plate 20 is then swung (as shown, it is to be swung by hand) and clapped or pounded against the end of the pile. The boards are thus driven close against the opposite plate 19, and the pile is trued. ing of material is in progress the chains 3 are traveling and certain operations follow automatically. One pair of blocks 4 (which may or may not be carrying a previously prepared pile of material) advancing from the saws passes beyond the ends of rails 25; thereupon bars 18 rise under the tension of springs 26; and locks 15 are raised and vanes 14 unlocked. Meanwhile a pair of blocks 4 (ordinarily the chains will be equipped with two or more pairs) has engaged rails 11 and effected the descent of bars 10; this pair of blocks, continuing toadvance, engages the trued-up pile of ma terial A and carries it forward, sliding on the skids 2, to the saws. Before the material reaches the saws, however, or soon after, the vanes 11- 1, pushed aside by the advancing pile of material, swing back under the impetus of their controlling springs to their normal position athwart the runway. The dogs advancing with their load engage and swing rails 25 and their connected bars 18, bringing the upper guides to service position and at the same time allowing locks 15 to descend by gravity to rest upon vanes 11 and when the vanes released swing back to their normal position athwart the runway then the locks 15 secure them for the next charging and truing-up of material. Meanwhile, the advancing charge passes through the saws, the material being backed on three sides against displacement. Passing. from the saws, the finished material is carried on along the skids to a point be yond the sprocket wheels, where it is left standing in an undisturbed pile (the pivoted face-plates of the dogs effect this) ready to be removed.

Fig. 2 shows the machine at a time in the operation when one pair of blocks 1 (now on the return travel of the chain) has passed beyond rails 25; the locks 15 have opened; and the pile of material A stands ready, about to be picked up by the pair of blocks 4 advancing from the left and carried by them between skids 2 and bars 40 toward the saws.

The rotation of the saws and the drive of the sprocket-chains are coordinated; and, as they are shown to be driven from a c0IIl- While this preliminary position-' mon shaft 28 by means of clearly intelligible driving connections detailed explanation here is unnecessary. In the line of drive of one of these two coordinated parts, preferably in the line of operative connection from the shaft 28 to the sprocket chains 3, is a speed adjuster. This adjustment is to the end that as saws grow dull or as the hardness or thickness of the wood varies, the relative speed of feed and of cutting may be varied. I employ an expanding pulley, shown in elevation at 30, Figs. 13, and shown in detail in Figs. a and 5. It includes radially movable parts 31, sliding in a supporting disk frame 32. A spider, mounted to be turned upon the shaft of the pulley, is provided with arms 35 which, engaging the members 31, cause them to move outward or inward as the spider turns. A sleeve 36 interposed between spider and shaft is provided with helical grooves into which pins 37 upon the spider enter, so that the shifting of the sleeve 36 along the shaft effects the turning of spider The movement of sleeve 36 along the shaft is effected and controlled by mounting it on the lever 37 (Fig. 1) and swinging the lever in any suitable way, as by the threaded shaft 38 driven by the crank 39. Regarding the construction of this expansible pulley more particularly, it will be observed that the alternate radially movable sections 31 are provided with hearing faces 14.- which overlap the adjacent sections; these overlapping face-plates 461 are formed preferably of spring metal and shaped to arcs of relatively short radius; they are assembled with the adjacent parts under tension; and by their resilience they afford a substantially true and continuous surface for engagement by the driving belt, whatever be the degree of expansion of the pulley as a whole.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wood-working machine the combination of a runway, a swinging springimpelled vane normally extending athwart the runway, a latch normally engaging the said vane and securing it against swinging, and means for swinging said latch operated on the advance of work along said runway.

2. In a wood-working machine the com bination of a skidway arranged to sustain material resting by gravity upon it, a work engaging block movable first in a direction parallel with the surface of said skidway and while in the course of such movement extending above said skidway, and movable farther in an obliquely descending direction with respect to the surface of said skidway, and a face plate pivoted to said block.

3. In a wood-working machine the combination of a horizontally extending skidway, a sprocket chain extending parallel with and beneath said skidway, a sprocket wheel arranged beneath and adjacent 01 6 end of said skidway over which said sprocket chain extends, a block borne by said sprocket chain, a face plate pivoted to said block and normally extending in a direction perpendicular to said sprocket chain, and means tending to bring said face plate to its normal position when swung on its pivotal mounting.

4. In a wood-working machine means for truing a pile of articles to be operated upon, such means including a suitable support upon which a pile of articles may rest by gravity and opposite abutments arranged on either side of said support, one of said abutments movable transversely of said support toward and away from its opposite fellow abutment, and in the range of such movement automatically adjustable in the angularity of its position with respect to said support.

5. In a wood-working machine, the combination with a runway of a clapper for truing work when placed upon said runway said clapper consisting of a suitably shaped body carried on an arm having an eye at the supporting end and supported on and having play upon the shank of a pin set in a suitable support and extending through said eye, and a spring normally holding said arm at the inner end of its range of play upon said pin.

6. In a wood-working machine, the combination of a runway, a work-truing abutment standing normally athwart said runway and a lock for said abutment, a guidebar movable vertically above said runway, means for swinging said guide-bar on the advance of work along said runway, the said lock being operated by the swinging of said guide-bar.

7 In a wood-working machine, the combination of a. runway, a succession of guidebars movable vertically above said runway, and means for swinging said guide-barssuccessively on the advance of work upon said runway.

8. In a wood-working machine the combination of a runway, a rail extending adjacent said runway and movable in response to the advance of work along said runway, guides movable to and from position opposite said runway and operative connection between said rails and said guides.

9. In a wood-working machine, the combination of a pair of skids, a pair of sprocket-chains, a pair of rails extending adjacent the sprocket-chains, a pair of railengaging parts borne by said sprocketchains, a pair of guide-rails movable with respect to said skids, and operative connection between said rails first named and said guide rails.

10. In a wood-working machine the combination of a skidway having horizontal upper and nether surfaces, a rail extending adjacent said skidway and movable with respect thereto, a guide arranged to engage a face of the work opposite to that engaged by the skidway, said guide being operatl'vely connected with said rail, and a workengaging block movable along said skidway and provided with a roller which in the range of normal operation engages the nether surface of said skidway and the upper surface of said rail.

11. In a woodworking machine the combination of a skidway, a succession of rails extending adjacent said skidway and movable with respect thereto, a plurality of guide members arranged to engage a face of the work opposite to that engaged by the skidway, said guide members being operatively connected with said rail, and a workengaging block movable along said skidway and in the range of its movement simultaneously engaging two of said rails.

12. In a wood-working machine the combination of a skidway provided with upper and nether bearing surfaces, a vertically swinging rail arranged adjacent the nether surface of said skidway, a guide arranged to engage a face of the work opposite to that engaged by the skidway, said guide being movable above said skidway in response to the swinging of said rail, a work-engaging block movable along said skidway, engag ing the upper and nether surfaces thereof and engaging also and swinging said rail, the engagement of said block with said nether surface of the skidway and with said rail being accomplished by a plurality of rollers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE C. GOODYEAR. Witnesses:

FRANCIS J. TOMASSON, PAUL N. ORI'roHLow.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

